"We are here by the grace of trees & forests. They make our atmosphere, clean our water, & sustain the cycles of life that permit us" (Richard Powers)

Both man and nature have conspired to throw considerable obstacles in the way of the expedition, including almost a year of Covid-19 lock-downs. However, in 2018 I became the first person to ascend the Brazilian Amazon on foot, and I am now over half way across the Peruvian Amazon and heading toward the Andes. Hard-won experience has prepared me mentally for the tough challenge still ahead, and physically I am fit.

As well as sharing this adventure on the AOTA website, i also use satellite tracking data set at intervals of between 10 and 30 minutes when moving forward as a digital record  of the journey.

  I cover the ground in consecutive stages, stopping at the end of a stage or stages when resupplying or for other logistical purposes. The course can be seen on the AOTA site, together with my blogs, photos and other educational information including the very popular A to Z of Amazon animals page.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

~Lao Tzu

This incredible journey has so far taken me from the Atlantic ocean and the tidal mangrove forests at the easternmost tip of the world' s largest river island, Marajó in Brazil, to the flooded forests of the Peruvian Amazon, past the confluence of the Ucayali and Maranón rivers, passed the large tropical city of Pucallpa along the Rio Ucayali and past Rio Tambo onto the Rio Ene. I will continue to ascend the river basin to the officially recognised source of the Amazon river high in the snow-capped Peruvian Andes mountains; and the final part of the expedition will be the descent to the Pacific coast, meaning I will also have crossed the continent from east to west.

"All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree,
the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports."

~ Chief Seattle

During the expedition I am documenting my experiences of the people and cultures I encounter, through words and images posted on the website. I also highlight environmental issues, and offer observations on flora and fauna and the people who live along the river's course. The official AOTA site, ascentoftheamazon.com, is also a repository of historical and scientific information on the region, as well as hosting my blogs.

"I'd be an Indian here, and live content. To fish, hunt and paddle my canoe,
  In health of body and piece of mind, Rich without wealth, and happy without gold"

~Alfred R Wallace.

 No-one has ever attempted this sea-to-official-source journey by any means, and a successful expedition is expected to receive some media attention, building as the expedition nears its conclusion. National Geographic Poland recently published a 6 page article about the expedition, and my trials and tribulations are followed by many people around the world.

“Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers, things standing shall fall, but the moving ever shall stay.” 

~Basava,

Peru, the home of indigenous Asheninka & Ashaninka people for millennia. 

I cannot complete my mission without your help. This fundraiser was first published in January and the money raised has already been used, this is just a re-launch 9 months on to take me step by step 18,000 ft up into the Andes, and then down to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The funds will be used to pay for satellite tracking and website costs, kit maintenance, including replacement cheap clothing & boots for myself & guides, SD cards for my video camera, a local guide, medical supplies, complex logistics, emergency rescue/evacuation insurance, food and accommodation in towns,  gifts for communities and my eventual return home costs. Although this expedition will achieve two world firsts, the narrative of the odyssey is about so much more: it is about the future of the Amazon and everything it means in a world so full of challenges. Help me make a difference in 2021. If you can, please donate something or opt for one of the rewards listed; if you can't, then please share, follow, and talk about my journey, the river and rain-forest. Thank you!

For more inspiration about the Amazon and its incredible biodiversity i highly recommend watching the Nat-Geo 'Wild Amazon' documentry below.